This outcome has been a long-time coming but after falling to Arkansas 79-72 in the Round of 64 of March Madness, Kansas basketball's season is officially complete. Entering the season, the Jayhawks were the top-ranked college team in the nation, but just about nothing went according to plan. Now it is time to turn the page and look towards the 2025-2026 KU basketball season.
We will look at the players eligible to return to Kansas next fall (and the likelihood of them returning versus entering the transfer portal) as well as the incoming freshman and potential transfer needs for the Crimson and Blue. With Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams Jr., Dajuan Harris Jr., Zeke Mayo, and Shakeel Moore all graduating, there will be some scholarships available.
The Jayhawks cornerstones next season will be made up of incoming 5-star recruit and elite NBA prospect, Darryn Peterson and current 5-star recruit Flory Bidunga, but the tertiary pieces around them are very much still up in the air. What will Bill Self and the coaching staff decide to do to bounce back from their dreadful 2024-2025 season?
Kansas will have a mixed bag of returning players and fresh faces next season
Players eligible to return: 8 – AJ Storr (Junior), Rylan Griffen (Junior), David Coit (Senior), Zach Clemence (RS Senior), Elmarko Jackson (RS Sophomore), Jamari McDowell (RS Sophomore), Flory Bidunga (Freshman), and Rakease Passmore (Freshman)
Incoming freshmen: 3 – Darryn Peterson (5-star recruit), Bryson Tiller (4-star recruit), and Samis Calderon (4-star recruit)
Current depth chart:
PG: Darryn Peterson / Elmarko Jackson / David Coit
SG: AJ Storr / David Coit / Rakease Passmore
SF: Rylan Griffen / Jamari McDowell / Samis Calderon
PF: Bryson Tiller / Zach Clemence / ???
C: Flory Bidunga / Zach Clemence / ???
There is a chance that one of or both of AJ Storr and Rylan Griffen re-enter the transfer portal yet again after both players had a down year in Lawrence. This would be Storr's third time in the transfer portal if he goes that route. With that being said, with NIL, minutes opening up on the roster, and other connections, it is safe to assume that at least one of the two stays with the Jayhawks.
For simplicity's sake, and until proven otherwise, we will assume that just one of them returns. Looking at the guard rotation, the Jayhawks have some depth and intriguing pieces, but could benefit from another SG. The bigs meanwhile look incredibly thin and Coach Self will definitely need to focus on that in the transfer portal.
Bringing in a couple of big men via the transfer portal also allows Tiller to not have a huge burden on him coming off of an apparent leg injury this month and he can round into form as a backup big. The plan would likely be to have him playing similar minutes next season as what Bidunga played this year (12-16 minutes per game).
What would the ideal transfer player builds and depth chart for KU look like?
As previously mentioned, KU should be targeting a SG in the transfer portal. A pure-shooting SG/SF that can help space the floor and is preferably 6-foot-4+ would be useful as Coit and Jackson are both smaller guards already. Despite some other faults, Zeke Mayo was a great shooter and one of the few players to generate any space for other teammates and will be gone next season.
For transfer portal bigs, adding two different stylistic PF/Cs could be a smart move. With Bidunga and Tiller not being huge threats to stretch the floor, a 6-foot-8+ PF with three-point range may be a big boost. A true-center (6-foot-10+) that can bang down low inside the paint would also allow Clemence to function as the fifth big, opposed to the third big on the depth chart.
Lastly, a defensive 6-foot-4-6-foot-7 wing would help not only replace the Griffen/Storr minutes if one leaves, but provide a higher defensive upside than what those two showcased this year. With Adams Jr. now gone after being KU’s best defender, this defensive wing might be crucial to increase NCAA Final Four odds next year. Calderon, McDowell, or Passmore could also be this guy.
Ideal 2025-2026 depth chart:
PG: Darryn Peterson / Elmarko Jackson / David Coit
SG: Transfer SG / Jamari McDowell / Rakease Passmore
SF: (Rylan Griffen or AJ Storr) / Transfer SF / Samis Calderon
PF: Transfer PF / Bryson Tiller / Zach Clemence
C: Flory Bidunga / Transfer C / Zach Clemence
This plan is obviously very premature and much too early to be fully accurate, but it is a very good thought experiment on how Kansas will turn the page next year and what pieces they might be looking for. Rock Chalk!